Eleven children died in a fire at a foster care facility in Algiers, Algeria, during a severe heatwave.

Eleven children died and 19 others were injured in a fire at a childcare institution in Mohammedia, an eastern suburb of Algiers. The blaze broke out at approximately 3:30 a.m. on Thursday at a two-story facility. While the specific ages of the victims were not released, the civil protection department confirmed that all 11 fatalities were children. Rescue teams successfully evacuated five children with reduced mobility to a safe location, while several of the injured were transported to a specialized burns hospital. The fire occurred on Algeria’s National Children’s Day during a period of intense heat, which has caused nearly 1,000 fires across the country in the past week. Abdelmadjid Tebboune expressed his condolences for the "tragic loss" while visiting Berlin. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb visited two hospitals to meet with the injured. Opposition figures, including the Jil Jadid party, have called for a transparent investigation to determine the cause of the fire and establish legal accountability for any safety failures.

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